Preferential network perturbation

We study network robustness to perturbation for a pair of non-directional networks, motivated by applications in cancer network modelling. The susceptibility of single networks to attack and failure has been well-studied, but a similar problem for a pair of networks with non-zero similarity has so far not been considered. In the current approach, we wish to maximise the perturbation of one network while minimising that of a second network, thus achieving a “preferential” perturbation. We focus on network pairs derived from a single underlying network which we call “correlated” networks, and use model networks to generate results and principles for general network topologies.